Forgotten
by Freedom Dancer
Summary: What does it feel like... to be forgotten? To be swallowed up whole in a black void where no one can remember you? (Rated M for Romano's language. Implied Spamano.)


_"Tomato-mato-mato! Beautiful tomato!  
_ _Ripe, red, and round tomato!  
_ _You'll look so good in salsa and on tacos!  
_ _And you'll taste so good, too!  
_ _I love you, little tomato-mato-mato!"_

Lovino groaned and slammed his glass of water down on the kitchen counter. "Who the hell is that?" he huffed.

 _"My, my tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _Muy bien! Muy bien!  
_ _Te amo, beautiful tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _You are the light of my life, tomato!  
_ _So red and so shiny!  
_ _Like the blush on Lovino's cheeks!"_

Emerald eyes widened at the mention of his human name and Romano quickly slid on a pair of shoes, grabbed a pistol out of his knife drawer, and got his gun ready. Already, the day had gone to hell, and it wasn't even ten in the morning yet. He'd wondered, as he carefully approached his back door, who was out in his garden, not only picking his tomatoes and singing such a stupid song, but using his human name as well. After all, there was a very limited number on people who knew his real name. His fratello, that potato bastard (because of his stupid fratello), and... some one else he couldn't seem to remember. He could see the body of a man, but the face had been blacked out. Could it be that guy? The faceless man he didn't remember the name to?

 _"I wonder, wonder, wonder!  
_ _What could I make with you!  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _How about tomato juice?  
_ _Si, si! Muy bien! Gracias! De nada!  
_ _How about salsa, too?  
_ _What would Lovino like?  
_ _I wonder, wonder, wonder!  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _I bet Lovino would just love to eat you!"_

Who could be so damn cheery so early in the morning, Lovino wondered, quickly, but quietly turning his door knob, and opening his door. Whoever was out there in his garden had managed to hide themselves among all his tomato plants, but if he had to take a guess, it would be-

 _"Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _In the middle of the world!  
_ _I wish I was like you, tomato!"_

-in the middle of his garden.

He began maneuvering his way around his tomatoes, careful not to damage the leaves or bruise the precious fruit that protruded and hung out of the small cages he'd put them in.

Suddenly, the song that Lovino used to find obnoxiously cheerful turned painfully sad.

 _"Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _I wish I was like you, tomato!  
_ _Still here and alive.  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _So precious in my eyes!  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _I miss making Lovino food!  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato.  
_ _Does he miss it, too?"_

Lovino's finger began to tremble around the trigger. And though he desperately wanted to call out to whoever was out there, he stayed quiet.

 _"Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _-Tomato-mato-mato!  
_ _Ripe, skinny tomato!  
_ _Juicy, fat ones, too!  
_ _Tomato-mato-mato.  
_ _Silly me, tomato.  
_ _Lovino has forgotten me.  
_ _The tomatoes forgot me, too..."_

Finally, Lovino had endured all he could. When he found he had only one more turn to take, he quickly spun on his heel and pointed the gun at his culprit. It was the man. The faceless man he'd seen in his mind, standing beside his brother and holding out a peace sign. But even here, all of his face, aside from his left eye, was blacked out. _"Lovino!"_ he cried happily, turning to face the smaller Italian.

"Sh-Shut up! Who are you?! And why can I see through you?! Are you a ghost?! Tell me I'm just dreaming, jerk! A-And you better not have woken me up or I'll kick you! I-I'm not afraid of you, stupido!"

 _"So you don't remember me...? Lovino...?"_

"Tell me how you know my name, jerk-hole! Or I'll shoot you! Or whatever little projector you're using to appear so see through with!"

 _"Lovino! It's me! Antonio Carriedo! Your friend!"_

"Who?! I don't know anyone by that name, bastardo! And if I did, he wouldn't be so stupid and he wouldn't wake me up, pick my tomatoes, and then act like he's some sort of ghost! Now tell me who the hell you are!"

Fluffy brown hair bounced slightly as the male turned to face the Italian. A tear rolled down the Spaniard's transleucent, tan cheek. _"I know your name because I raised you, Lovino. After you and your hermano were split up, Roderich gave you to me, while he took Feliciano. Why don't you remember me...? Did you choose to forget me?"_

"No! You're not real! You never were!"

 _"But you know I was, Lovino! Por favor! Remember me! You have to remember me! You know I existed at one point! I was Spain! It's Spain! I'm Spain!"_

"...No, you weren't. No, you're not. And you never will be. There was never anyone or anything called Spain!"

The same black void that had swallowed up the rest of Antonio's face began creeping up towards his left eye and down towards his body. His neck disappeared. His arms and chest followed shortly after, leaving his torso and legs, which were being devoured as well. Antonio began panicking. _"No! No! Lovino! You have to remember me! Please! Before it devours me, before it swallows up everything I used to be."_

"..You're not real."

 _"Lovino! I'm-"_

"Shut up, jerk! Just disappear already before I shoot you myself!"

Terrified of the darkness that ate at his body, Antonio reached out, desperately trying to grab Lovino's hand. He needed Lovino to remember. But Lovino instantly jumped out of the way, unwilling to let himself get grabbed. _"Lovino!"_

"Just go already! Leave me alone!"

Brown hair and a shiny emerald eye. Gone.

Torso. Gone.

Legs... Vanished.

 _"Lovino, por favor. Save me. Remember who I am, who I used to be! Let me at least die in peace!"_

"You never existed! You were never real! You died before you ever lived! I don't know you, stupido!"

And just like that, Antonio disappeared into the shadows that ate him.

And just like that, Lovino went back inside with a ripe tomato in hand.

He stared at it for a moment, before he sank his teeth into the fruit and began eating. He didn't want to say anything to anyone. They'd already forgotten. They'd forgotten just days after Spain vanished, but he remembered. He remembered all too well just how heart broken he had been.

Spain.

Antonio Carriedo.

"I know you existed, bastardo," Lovino whispered quietly, taking a drink of water. "But it's so much easier pretending that I never knew you, pretending that you were never really there."

And in Lovino's mind, the faceless man grew a face. Two large, rich green eyes, tan skin, and a pair of full lips bloomed like flowers on the black space that had, at once, removed the Spaniard from his memory. "But now... you'll leave me alone for good and we can all forget that you ever existed. And it... it will be better that way, jerk. Because some of us choose to forget."

(So basically, Spain's country was dissolved and everyone forgot about him immediately, except for Romano, who forgot him gradually, and right before Spain fully disappeared, he reappeared to Romano, in hopes that Romano could save him by remembering. However, as the last line states, some people choose to forget. And yes, yes I did write the 'Tomato-mato-mato' song. Because I figured it would be fitting. X'D Don't judge me.)


End file.
